Glossary
Every term also appears as a field or feature on the sheets of the inferno slots. For each one you read what the value measures and what it does not predict. All values come from provider data; if a value is missing there, the field on the sheet stays empty and we do not fill it in.
RTP
RTP is the theoretical return over a very long run of spins: an arithmetic average from the game rules, not an expectation for a short session. The sheets show the provider's RTP figure, and as reference points on the scale we use the thresholds 95, 96 and 97. RTP does not change the outcome of a single spin and is neither a guarantee nor a cap. The figure is mainly useful for comparing slots, or versions of the same slot, with each other.
RTP version
An RTP version is one of the RTP settings in which a studio supplies the same game. A single slot can therefore be in circulation in several versions with different RTP values; the casino offering the game chooses which one runs. If a sheet notes that several RTP versions exist, the game exists in several versions. Theme, symbols and features stay the same; how the lower RTP is achieved differs per studio. You can check which version you are playing in the game's info menu.
Volatility
Volatility describes how strongly payouts swing. With high volatility, longer runs without a win alternate with bigger spikes; with low volatility, smaller prizes land more regularly. The sheets show one of these levels: low, low-medium, medium, medium-high, high or adjustable. Volatility does not change RTP; it determines how that return is spread across spins. It does not tell you when a prize will land.
Hit frequency
Hit frequency is the share of spins that pay something, such as a line win or a feature trigger, measured over a very large number of spins. The sheets show this value only if the provider states it. Hit frequency says nothing about prize size: a slot with a high hit frequency can pay many small prizes, a slot with a low one fewer but bigger prizes. The figure does not predict whether the next spin wins.
Max win
Max win is the highest payout the game rules allow, expressed as a multiple of the stake. It is a ceiling, not an expectation. The sheets show the provider's max win; as a reference point we use 10,000×. A high max win does not say how close a game gets to that ceiling in practice. Together with volatility, it does show how far the spikes can reach.
Ways
Ways is the number of winning combinations possible without fixed paylines. A win forms from matching symbols on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel, regardless of the row they sit in. For ways slots the sheets show the number of ways; for slots with fixed lines that spot shows the number of paylines. In Megaways slots the number of ways changes from spin to spin. The number of ways says nothing about RTP, but it does decide how combinations form.
Bonus buy
Bonus buy is an option that starts the bonus round straight away for a fixed price, expressed as a multiple of the stake. The sheets list this feature if the provider states it. Some studios give the bought bonus its own RTP, which can differ from the base game. A bought round has no guaranteed outcome and can return less than its price.
Free spins
Free spins are free rounds inside a bonus feature, usually started by scatters. During the round adjusted rules can apply, such as multipliers, extra wilds or fixed symbols, and sometimes the round restarts with a retrigger. The sheets list the feature if the provider states it. A slot's RTP already includes the free spins; they do not come on top. They do not guarantee a win per spin.
Respins
Respins are extra spins triggered by a specific event, for example a sticky symbol or a feature that keeps running until a condition is met. Some symbols or reels stay in place while the rest spin again. Respins can build up a win over several spins, but on their own they say nothing about RTP or prize size. Hold and Win is a well-known form of respins with locked symbols.
Hold and Win
Hold and Win is a bonus round in which special symbols carrying a cash value or a jackpot label stay locked in place. You get a small number of respins, and each new symbol resets that counter. The round ends when the respins run out or the grid is full; in some slots a full grid pays the top jackpot. The sheets list Hold and Win only for slots where the provider names the feature that way; related collect features, such as a cash collector or Link Win, appear under their own name. The slot's RTP already includes the round.
Cascading reels
With cascades, winning symbols disappear and new symbols drop into their place within the same spin. This way several wins can follow from one stake. Some slots attach a multiplier that rises with every cascade. The sheets list the feature if the provider states it. Cascades do not raise RTP; they determine how wins form within a spin.
Megaways
Megaways is a reel mechanic from Big Time Gaming that other studios use under licence. On every spin the game decides again how many symbols each reel shows, and with that how many ways to win there are on that spin. As with ways, a win forms from matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left. The sheets show the maximum number of ways the provider states. Megaways can be combined with cascades and multipliers; which features a slot has is listed per sheet. The number of ways says nothing about RTP.
Adjustable volatility
With adjustable volatility you choose the volatility level yourself in the game settings, from a calmer to a wilder mode. Wazdan offers this under the name Volatility Levels. On the sheets such slots show adjustable instead of a single level. Which modes exist and what each mode changes in the spread of prizes is set by the game rules. The chosen mode does not guarantee any outcome.
